Air conditioning system

ABSTRACT

An air conditioning system to provide treated air from a central source to a plurality of areas in a common enclosure, including at least one supply terminal. The system further includes a return air plenum. A return air unit provides simultaneous communication between two of the areas and the return air plenum. The unit includes a baffle plate which is disposed over a partition separating the two areas.

United States Patent Herb et a1. [4 Apr. 25, 1972 [54] AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM 3,244,223 4/1966 Edwards ..l65/50 v 3,354,946 11/1967 Dear ..l65/50 [72] Inventors: Carl C. Herb, Camillus; Darwin G.

Travel" Dewitt both of NY Primary Examiner-William J. Wye [73] Assignee: Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, NY. A"0mey- Harry Mam", and Raymond [22] Filed: Jan. 20, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [2]] Appl. No.: 107,926 An air conditioning system to provide treated air from a central source to a plurality of areas in a common enclosure, in- 1 cluding at least one supply terminal. The system further in- [52] U.S. Cl ..62/419, 165/22, 165/50 eludes a return air plenum A return air unit provides simu| In. ..F25d taneous communication between two of the areas and th [58] Field of Search ..165/22,50; 62/419 return air plenum, The unit includes a baffle plate which is disposed over a partition separating the two areas. [56] References Cited 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,266,986 12/1941 Murphy "165/22 H i l :7 1 I H l i l i 1| I II if H 39 y M ii '1 I 1! 1| I PATENTEUAPR 2 5 I972 SHEET 2 [IF 2 A substantial .number of commercial buildings, such as hospitals, officebuildings and schools, include air conditioning systems thatprovide treated air from acentral source to each of the areas in the enclosure. Many'of such systems include supply airterminals disposed in the, areas, that-enable the individual occupants thereof to obtain temperature condi tions therein in accordance with his own preference.

An air conditioning terminal that provides such individual, control is disclosed in co-pending application, Ser. No. 779,834,.filed Nov. 29, 1968, filed in the names of Darwin G. Traver and Carl C. Herb. Such terminal may be operated to providetreated air simultaneously to two areas separated by a partition, whereby each of the occupants of the separate areas may obtain treated air suitable to his own individual preference.

For some applications utilizing such airconditioning terminals, it is desirable to return the air from each of the areas to the central source for retreating.

To maintain the cost of adding a return air unit and associated conduits at a minimum, and to additionally provide a suitable unit to satisfy aesthetic requirements, that is a return air unit that is not visually distinguishable from a supply air unit, it is desirable to have a return air unit that may simultaneously service the two areas separated by the partition. However, such units should have sumcient sound attenuating properties so that cross talk, i.e., the transfer of sound from one area to the adjoining area will not occur.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an air conditioning system including a return air unit having the desired attributes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an air conditioning system operable to provide treated air simultaneously to a plurality of areas in a common enclosure. In particular, this invention relates to such systems having means for returning the air from each of the areas to a central source for re-treating.

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, there is-illustrated anair conditioning system suitable for providing treated air sirnultaneously to a plurality of separate areas in a common enclosure. The system includes a central source: for providing the treated air. The central source includes precoolingcoil 7, spray means 9, cooling coil 11, heating coil :13, and fan I5, forheating, cooling and humidifying the air as is desired to provide treated air for passage to the separate areas being served by the system.

A supply air duct 17 is illustrative of the plurality of ducts provided to supply treated airto airterminals throughout the enclosure. The supplyair duct includescommunicating risers 5 l9 and 21 which connect the ductto supply air plenums 23,

shown more particularly in FIGS. 2 and plenum is preferable suitably lined with material suchas a glass fiber blanket.

As is shown inFIG. 1, the. supply airplenums of the air con- 3. The supply air a sound absorbing 0 ditioningsystem are disposed in a space between the actual The air conditioning system includes an air discharge terminal that may be positioned over the partition separating two adjoining areas whereby each of the areas may obtain a desired quantity of treated air in accordance with the preference of the occupants thereof.

The system further includes a return air unit operable to simultaneously service the two adjoining areas separated by the partition. The unit includes a baffle member having a portion seated on the partition. The unit further includes first, second and third members; the first member being spaced from the second and third members to define a first passage therebetween and the second being spaced from the third member to define a second passage therebetween. The first and second passages are disposed transverse relative to each other and have communication therebetween.

The bafile plate is connected to the first member and divides each of the passages into first and second sections, to define separate flow paths through the unit for the return air from each of the separate areas. The flow paths through the unit are parallel to each other for a first portion and are substantially opposite each other for a second portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates an air conditioning system, partially in schematic and partially in oblique, for providing treated air simultaneously to a plurality of areas in a common enclosure;

FIG. 2 shows an oblique view of a supply air terminal and a return air terminal employed in the air conditioning system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates an oblique sectional view, taken along the section lines I" III of FIG. 2, of a return air unit employed in an air conditioning system in accordance with our inventron.

ceiling 25 and a false ble acoustical tile.

The space so formed serves as a return air plenum 29 as shall be more fully explained hereinafter. Conduit 33 connects return air plenum 29 with the inlet to the apparatus for providing the treated air.

As noted hereinbefore, it is desirable to have the supply air terminals 43, one being shown in FIG. 2, operable to provide treated air simultaneously to two separate areas such as areas 37 and 39, having a common partition member 41 therebetween.

Terminal 43 includes a triangular diffuser member 44 which is seated on a portion of partition member 41. Terminal 43 further includes side diffuser members 45 and 47 which combine with triangular diffuser 44 to define the outlet from the terminal. Side diffusers 45 and 47 may support the acoustical tile 27 of the false ceiling.

Appropriate passages (not shown) are provided so as to communicate plenum 23 with terminal 43. Looking upwardly from the floor of the areas being treated, the occupant thereof would only see a long longitudinal slot which serves as the outlet from the terminal and is defined as heretoforedescribed.

To obtain the desired visual effects, the return air units and supply air units are positioned in serieswith respect to each other, as is shown in FIG. 2. However, it should be understood that there is no connection between such units; the positioning of same in series is for visual appearance only. Referring particularly to FIG. 3, return unit 49 includes a first transverse member 51. Connected to member 51 by suitable means such as welding, is a baffle member 53 having a lower portion 54 which is adapted to be seated on the top part of partition 41. Members 55 and57 in combination with baffle 53, define the inlet to the air return unit. Members 55 and 57 are spaced apart to form a longitudinally extending passage 60. Baffle member 53 divides passage 60 into first and second parallel sections 67 and 69. Member 51 is spaced apart from members 55 and 57 to define a second passage 50, this passage being transverse to the first passage. Baffle member 53 separates the second passage 50 into first and second sections 63 and 65. Section 63 is in communication with section 67 of first passageway 60 while section 65 is in communication with section 69 of passageway 60. The opposed surfaces of members 51, 55 and 57 are lined with suitable sound absorbing material 61.

The openings into the unit as defined by members 53, 55 and 57 are substantially narrow in width, and in appearance are identical to the supply air outlets heretofore described. Since the units, supply and return, are positioned in series with respect to each other, such identical appearance satisfies aesthetic requirements. In addition, the narrow slot inlets of the return airunits provide an important functional benefit. The air passing through the narrow slot has its velocity substantially increased, thereby attenuating any high frequency sounds which may be generated.

ceiling 27 preferably formed by suita- Baffle member 53 prevents direct communication between passageways 67 and 69. The air stream from area 37, flowing through section 67, is directed by member 53, through section 63 of passageway 50. The return air from area 39 flows through section 69 of passageway 60 and then passes into transversely extending section 65 of passageway 50. The streams flowing in sections 63 and 65 are moving in substantially opposite directions.

By changing the direction of the flow paths of the air streams as they travel through the units prior to being united in the plenum, the acoustic energy is scattered. The high frequency sound waves are readily absorbed by lining 61.

Although the air streams unite in plenum 29, sound will either have been absorbed by the lining or dissipated by the change in direction of the streams flow paths; thus annoying cross talk between the two areas served by a unit is prevented.

While we have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, it should not be limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In an air conditioning system operable to provide treated air from a central source of supply to a plurality of areas in a common enclosure and having at least one supply terminal to supply treated air simultaneously to two separate areas having a partition member separating the two areas, the system including a return air plenum, the improvement which comprises a return air unit for providing simultaneous communication between said two areas and said return air plenum for flow of air from said areas to said return air plenum comprism I a. a first member,

b. a second member spaced from said first member to define a portion of a first passage therebetween;

c. a third member spaced from said first member to define a further portion of said first passage, and spaced from said second member to define a second passage therebetween, said first and second passages being disposed transverse relative to each other and having communication therebetween; and

d. a baffle plate connected to said first member and having a portion seated on said partition member, said plate dividing each of said passages into first and second sections to define separate flow paths through said unit for return air from each of said areas, said flow paths being parallel to each other for a first portion and being substantially opposite each other for a second portion.

2. In a building structure in combination of a plurality of areas to be supplied with treated air from a central source, at least one partition to separate two adjacent areas, each area including a ceiling, a false ceiling spaced therefrom to form a return air plenum therebetween, and an air conditioning system operable to provide the treated air to each of the areas including:

a. a supply terminal for providing said treated air to said two adjacent areas;

b. first duct means communicating said central source with said supply terminal for supply of treated air to said terminal;

c. a return air unit for providing simultaneous communication between said return air plenum and said two adjacent areas, said unit having a portion thereof seated on said partition separating said areas; and

(1. second duct means communicating said return air plenum with said central source to deliver air from said plenum to said central source. 

1. In an air conditioning system operable to provide treated air from a central source of supply to a plurality of areas in a common enclosure and having at least one supply terminal to supply treated air simultaneously to two separate areas having a partition member separating the two areas, the system including a return air plenum, the improvement which comprises a return air unit for providing simultaneous communication between said two areas and said return air plenum for flow of air from said areas to said return air plenum comprising: a. a first member, b. a second member spaced from said first member to define a portion of a first passage therebetween; c. a third member spaced from said first member to define a further portion of said first passage, and spaced from said second member to define a second passage therebetween, said first and second passages being disposed transverse relative to each other and having communication therebetween; and d. a baffle plate connected to said first member and having a portion seated on said partition member, said plate dividing each of said passages into first and second sections to define separate flow paths through said unit for return air from each of said areas, said flow paths being parallel to each other for a first portion and being substantially opposite each other for a second portion.
 2. In a building structure in combination of a plurality of areas to be supplied with treated air from a central source, at least one partition to separate two adjacent areas, each area including a ceiling, a false ceiling spaced therefrom to form a return air plenum therebetween, and an air conditioning system operable to provide the treated air to each of the areas including: a. a supply terminal for providing said treated air to said two adjacent areas; b. first duct means communicating said central source with said supply terminal for supply of treated air to said terminal; c. a return air unit for providing simultaneous communication between said return air plenum and said two adjacent areas, said unit having a portion thereof seated on said partition separating said areas; and d. second duct means communicating said return air plenum with said central source to deliver air from said plenum to said central source. 